How to Read Food Labels

Our Advice

When following a gluten free diet you will invariably spend a lot of time reading food labels. There is a lot of information on packaging such as —nutritional information, ingredient list, advice on allergens, cooking instructions and storage information.

Some Rules

Rule 1:

Try to choose foods labelled 'gluten free' or foods carrying the Crossed Grain logo. For a list of Crossed Grain accredited brands and foodstuffs, please refer to our shopping guide.

Rule 2:

If you don’t see wheat, rye, barley, oats or gluten on the ingredient list on a food label then there are no ingredients derived from gluten-containing grains and the product is gluten free (applies to products manufactured in NZ and Australia only)

Rule 3:

Exceptions to Rule 2, there are some ingredients derived from wheat which are so highly processed that they contain ‘no detectable gluten’ due to processing. These include caramel from wheat, dextrose from wheat, glucose syrup from wheat* and maltodextrin.

The Most Important Rule:

If in doubt, leave it out.

*For further information regarding 2016 legislation changes regarding labelling exemptions for glucose syrup derived to wheat (and distilled alcohol from wheat or whey), please go to the FSANZ website.

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Available Resources

We have fantastic resources available to assist with label reading that new members receive for free in their member's pack. The resources below are also available at a discount price for members via our store. Please sign up, or log-in, if you would like to purchase these discounted booklets.

If you are not a Coeliac NZ member, you can also purchase these books through the online store at RRP.

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About Coeliac New Zealand

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Coeliac New Zealand is available throughout your journey. As part of our community, you’ll get support, advice, and assistance. We work with health professionals, manufacturers, and researchers to raise awareness of coeliac disease in NZ.

Together, we can reach a day when every person with coeliac disease gets diagnosed quickly, lives a healthy life, and has the prospect of a cure.

Latest News

02/12/2025

New Zealand’s first Coeliac Registry surpasses 500 participants

Coeliac New Zealand has announced a major milestone, with its national Patient Registry now exceeding 500 participants. The registry, launched just over a year ago to better understand the experiences of people living with coeliac disease and other gluten‑related disorders, is rapidly becoming one of the most comprehensive datasets of its kind in Aotearoa. The […]